On Thursday May 26, 2011 Coppélia Pique, the new French brand blurring the line between art and fashion, hosted a cocktail for the opening of their exposition “The Girls with Enamel Eyes”. XXXX Magazine’s Amy Tabarly had the honor of a mini tour with Axelle Migé, fashion designer and director of Coppélia Pique. The name comes from the ballet Coppélia based on the short horror stories by E.T.A Hoffmann “The Sandman” and “The Doll” that are macabre yet romantic, and Coppélia Pique is just that – wistfully hopeful, yet dark with the lingering presence of death.

The collection is focused on storytelling. Each piece has a purpose and is either highly detailed or light, yet structural, such as the “wobbly dolls” that Migé invented. Think soft, modest and romantic layered dress atop an oversized ball. They are almost like something from the circus and a bit surreal as they wobble and maintain equilibrium. These balancing dolls speak of the dichotomous Coppelia Pique woman, who is ultra feminine during the day, yet passionate and wild at night, like a pendulum falling between two extremes.

The exposition contained not only pieces from the line “Incubus” for Fall/Winter 2011/2012, but also jewelry, 3-D holligraphic posters, a video installation from director Clement Oberto showing a battle between the two sides of femininity and passion, displays of “Pliable Volume” from Go Sagawa, and a sampling of their new fragrance “L’éxilir de vie” in collaboration with Juliette Karagueuzoglou, who has created fragrances for other big names such as Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy.

This perfume is an androgynous and almost magical kind of fragrance that shifts from the time you apply it. After each application, the life of the perfume evokes a story that Migé was kind enough to tell. From the moment the perfume is used, it starts as a strong and flowery scent, this the moment when the Coppélia Pique girl wakes up in the forest, a sort of birth if you will. As the day progresses, and as the wearer runs through his/her busy day (the fragrence is for men and women!) the scent morphes, just as the woman of the story does, towards passion, and as Migé added, ultimately death. A mix of red fruits, a touch of tuberose and even gun powder, the ingredients themselves are evocative of their story. Migé shared that this has become her personal fragrance and that she cannot bear to wear anything else.

In collaboration with jewelry designer Emmanuel Lacoste, Migé presented a line of jewelry for the label that speaks to the aesthetic of Coppélia Pique – simple yet delicately detailed.

The young and well balanced Axelle described her feelings of seperation with her work now that she had presented it. “It takes on a new life,” she said. She explained that once her work was open to the eyes of critics, she was ready and willing to hear critiques. All objects take on a new life after their creation, even people, like a child coming of age. For now though, Axelle Migé has told an enchanting story through lovely new designs, and I am anxious to see more.